


Dear Theodosia

by AranelPalise



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Multi, My story set in thedas, Non graphic violence, Original character in thedas, You will see familiar faces
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-02 18:47:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11515281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AranelPalise/pseuds/AranelPalise
Summary: An adventure story about vengeance, redemption, and duty.This is an original story, about my original character. It is set in Thedas, and there will be appearances from familiar characters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this. This is my first Dragon Age fanfiction. I only started playing a few months ago, but since then I've played every game at least 4 times, and read all the comics, and tons of fan fiction. I just love this world so much.

                      Chapter One

     I was surrounded by darkness, and cold. The only sound in the cave was my own heavy breathe.

  
     It was a relief compared to the overwhelming sounds of screaming, and death that had ended just moments ago.

  
     It was a surprise for me to even be standing here. Some might have called it a miracle, but not me. Not when I was the only one standing after the ordeal. Not when what started as a routine, even boring, mission had ended in such tragedy.

  
     It was simple enough, go into these caves, find the hidden stash of artifacts, bring them to the rendezvous point, get paid.

  
     It seemed an odd task for someone of our skill set. Nothing to kill really except a few creepy crawlies that hid out in the caves. But who was i to turn down coin. Besides, it would be good experience for some of the newer recruits.

  
     I hadn't expected a battle. I hadn't expected to be the reason so many men died. I hadn't expected any of it.  
Of course what sort of trap would it be if I had.

     I laid still on the ground a few more moments, praying to Andraste that who ever had attacked us wouldn't come back. I froze as I heard a noise, afraid that it was throatcutters, sent in to make sure the job, as I'm sure this must have been , was done.

  
     There was a breathey gasp.

  
     "Thea?" followed by a few more gasps.

  
     The voice was what spurred me into action. Stumbling in the dark I followed the sound of his voice.

  
     "Gareth" my voice broke as I called out softly.

  
     "Thea, praise the maker."

  
     Hesitantly I snapped my fingers, drawing a small amount of mana to create a flame. It wavered a moment, between my fear and the lack of practice I wasn't sure I would be able to sustain it, but thankfully the flame burned brightly, illuminating Gareth a few feet away from me.

  
    His hands clutched at his belly, and I could see two arrows sticking out of him, and a large ragged wound across his body.

  
     I knelt beside him, and began fumbling in my satchel, feeling for bandages, potions, or poultices. Anything that would help.

  
     But then he rested his hands feably on mine, stilling them. His brown eyes looked up into mine, and I could feel the tears beginning to pool up in them.

  
     "It is too late for me my love."

  
     He said the words calmly, as if he was merely late for supper.

  
    "No," My voice broke, and the tears began to slide down my cheeks. "No! I can save you. I have bandages, and potions. I will even use my magic is I must."

  
     I lifted my hands and began to channel mana, gathering power for a healing spell.

  
     "I fear I am beyond even what magic can fix. All I wish is to feel your lips on mine. Just one last time."

  
     These were the words of a man who had made peace with his fate. And I had to do the same.

  
     I grasped my lover's hand in my own, and gently rested the other on his face. I leaned down and gently pressed my lips against his.

  
     I felt his body relax just before his final breathe left his body, and his hand went limp in mine. I pressed my forehead against his, my tears falling onto his face.

  
     "I will avenge you Gareth."

     I folded his hands across his chest, and rose slowly. I found a torch on the ground near where Gareth's body lay, and I used my magic flame to relight it.

  
     I stood in silence and held the torch aloft, casting a light on the bodies that lay around me.

  
     Men don't tend to become mercenaries just for the hell of it. It's what you become when you run out of options. A job for people who are desperate enough to risk their lives to take care of their families. Or for people who have nothing left to loose. And the men who are too drunk to care.

  
     Which means that each of the men I saw cut down had a story. A reason for them to be here.

  
     Some of them I had heard. And some of them I will never get to know.

  
     Just like the men they belong to.

  
     I whispered each of their names, and said a prayer for the dead. Asking for their souls to pass into the fade, to be with the Maker in the Golden City.

  
     "Who ever did this will know what vengance feels like."

 

     I gritted my teeth and pulled the last grease trap out of my satchel, dumping the oil out onto the ground, all around the bodies.

  
      These men deserved better than to have some demon or blood mage putting their bodies to some foul use.

  
     I touched my torch to the oil, igniting it. Then I turned my back to walk out.

  
     I couldn't even bring myself to look back.

     

* * *

 

               THREE YEARS LATER

     Kirkwall was the town of the month.

  
     I actually liked it here. It was a place that made it easy for people like me. Easy to blend in. Easy to hide.

  
     I would even almost stay here. Which is something that I wouldn't have said several years ago, before the mage rebellion.

  
     The rumor in the Fereldan circle was that being transferred to Kirkwall almost certainly meant tranquillity, or death if the Templars were in a bad mood that day. They said there could be nothing worse. And Kinloch Hold had been taken over by Maleficarum once, so that was saying something.

  
     Of course there was still a general distrust for mages in Kirkwall. How could there not be? Most of the mages here had been crazy. But of course, so had most of the Templars.

 

     Still, you'd think that people would start giving mages a little more credit. After all it was a mage who stopped the Blight in Fereldan, and ten years later it was a mage who stopped Corypheus and saved the whole of Thedas.

  
     But still, everyone thinks that we'll all turn into Abominations at any given moment.

  
Well, not me. As far as anyone knows I'm a warrior. Just like my father started training me to be, before I came into my powers. I don't have a need for magic, so no one needed to know that I had it. Which is how I like.

  
     So here I sat in the middle of the Hanged Man, playing a round of Wicked Grace.

  
    I say playing, what I mean is hustling.  
That's how I make most of my money these days. Stacking cards, running a few scams. Cutting a few purses from the patrons who were too drunk to notice, and enough of an ass to deserve it.  
It may not be the most honest living, but if I did it right (Which I always did) then I could go unnoticed. Which is what I needed.

  
     I was doing well tonight. turns out it's a lot easier to stack the deck when the dwarf across the table keeps distracting everyone with with long winded tales of heroes and dragons and something about a magister and an Iron Bull, some shit like that.

  
     The Angel of Death card was played, ending the hand. We revealed our cards to each other.

  
     I raked in another twenty six soveriegns, putting me up to ninety four gold. When you add that to the thirty seven that I had from cutting a few purses, I would have what I needed. A little more than what I needed actually, which is always okay.

  
     "Well boys" I said, pushing my cards toward the center of the table. "I think it's time for me to quit while I'm ahead." A few of the other players protested, asking why I couldn't stay. I shook them off, making some excuse about getting m beauty rest. I waved Norah over so that I could pay my tab, plus slip in a few extra silvers. (Maker knows that girl deserves it for what she puts up with.) I flashed the other players a charming smile and raked my winnings into my purse. The dwarf was silent for the first time all night as he watched me.

  
     I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away from the table. I heard one of the men make a joke about how they should have been betting in clothes when they had the chance. I just rolled my eyes as I retied the drawstring at the neck of my blouse and made my way to my room.

  
     Cards were shuffled and the laughing began again. I heard the dwarf order a round of drinks for the table.  
I smirked as I pulled the hood of my cloak down.

  
     What a bunch of fools.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-bettaed. Probably full of mistakes. Let me know if I need to fix anything.
> 
> Am I foreshadowing something? Who knows.

                     Chapter Two

  
     I sat in my room sorting coins into bags, adding a few trinkets here and there. Nothing much, just the odd figurine or piece of jewelry I had picked up on my travels. Enough to make a person smile. Or if not maybe they could hawk it for a few extra coppers when they needed it.  
Once I had everything ready to go I packed my own meager belongings into a rucksack, and I hung the room key by a piece of ribbon off of the outside door knob.

  
     With the hood of my cloak pulled down low and a dagger sheathed at my belt I was ready to vanish. It would almost be as if I had never been there.

  
Once I managed to work the window open anyways. That thing was shut tight! But I finally felt it give, and it resisted the whole way up.

  
     The street below was deserted, except for one man who was passed out drunk in a doorway across the alley and down the street. Whoever they were, they wouldn't bother me.

  
     Carefully I slid one leg and the window, and held my breath as I lifted the second one out. I sat there on the window sill for  a moment, trying to keep my cool. (It doesn't matter how many times I've done this over the last few years, it still freaks me out a little bit.)

  
     Finally, with a slow yet practiced precision I scaled down the side of the building.

  
     I jumped the last few feet, my leather soled boots hitting the stone street almost silently. And I let out a sigh of relief. I'm not sure why I refused to just leave like a normal person. But I suppose that this way was cooler.

  
     I straightened my cloak, pulling the hood back down over my face and turned to leave.

  
     "Hey there Sly. I've been waiting for you to show up."

  
     Instinctively, I reached for the dagger at my hip, holding it up to about throat level in the direction the voice was coming from.

  
     There was a noise, and then the whiz of an arrow, and the clatter of my dagger hitting the ground.

  
     For the first time in years I was stunned. Frozen in place. It seems they had finally managed to track me down.

  
     My breath quickened as the dwarf from the Hanged Man stepped out of the shadows, strapping a rather impressive crossbow onto his back.

  
     My fists went up. If I was going down I was going down with a fight. Whether I was armed or not.  (Although I'm not sure how well my fists would last against a crossbow.)

  
     To my surprise, he didn't recock his crossbow. Instead he knelt down to pick up my dagger.

  
     The sick bastard was going to kill me with my own weapon!

  
     I threw a punch as he stood up, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground.  My dagger clattered back out of his hands and I swooped down to snatch it before he could get back to his feet. 

 

     With the dagger held to his throat he threw his hands up in the air.

  
     "I surrender! You sure know how to introduce yourself don't you?"

  
     "Who are you? Who sent you?" I glowered down at him. My eyes narrowed.

  
     "No one sent me. I just wanted to know your story."

  
     What makes you think I have a story at all? Much less one I would tell to you?" I sneared at him.

  
     Who was he to think he could just waltz in here and demand to know my life?!

  
     "Come on Sly, you've got 'tragic backstory' written all over you."

  
     Well I don't! I'm just as boring as I'm sure you are."

  
     "Not to brag, but you must have a damn good story then."

  
     The name's Varric by the way. Varric Tethras, Viscount of Kirkwall, renowned author, and occasional adventurer. At your service."

  
     He bowed mockingly. I swear this insufferable dwarf was about to find himself with my boot up his ass.

  
     "Yeah, and I'm Empress Celene of Orlais." I rolled my eyes and turned my back to  him, stalking down the dark alley. Much to my chagrin, the dwarf stalked me down the dark alley.

  
     "Nah, I was there when she was assassinated. And I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't put up with that.  
With my head down I kept on my path. Hoping that maybe if I just ignored him he'd go away. Like a stray cat, or a toddler.

  
     "Anyways, that's one hell of a story, but you have to buy my book if you want that one. I can't give everything away for free."

  
     Ugh!

  
     "I have things I need to do! Would you please just go away?!"

  
     "Probably not."

  
     Hopeful that he would loose interest soon I walked on. In silence. Which was hard because I wanted to give that guy an earful. But I'm telling myself right now, I am not going to let him draw me in again.

  
     "I see how it is Sly, you're gonna Blackwall me then."

  
     "The term is 'stone wall' and yes. As a matter of fact I am.

  
     "No, I knew this guy called Blackwall once, and he did the same thing. Pretty good guy too, unless you count that time he..."

  
     His words were cut short by a whistle, and the sound of foot steps running towards us.

  
     Lots of them.

  
     Some skinny little punk who must have been the leader stepped out of the shadows. (What is it with this city and shadows anyways. Someone needs to invest in some street lamps or something.)

  
     This man seemed a little too well armed to be some run of the mill street thug, not to mention that most of them are more the type to just kill you and take your money than to stop and start up a conversation.

  
     "Well well well, it appears we have found who we are looking for."  
He spoke with an Antivan accent.  
Shit. It looks like my past has caught up to me after all.

  
     My hand slid to the dagger that I had resheathed at my side. Hoping that the poisoned blade would be enough.

  
     "Kill me if you must!" I lowered my hood to look the Antivan in the eye. "But let the dwarf go. He has nothing to do with this!"

  
     He let out a sinister laugh.

  
     "Why would we be after a lowly whore? And why, pray tell, would I let the Viscount go when I carry the contract on his head?"

  
Okay, so maybe he wasn't that big of a liar.

  
     Varric cocked his crossbow, and I unsheathed my dagger.

  
     "Kill them both." The assassin ordered casually. "Between the several contracts on you, you certainly are worth more to anyone dead than you are alive."  
And then the onslaught began.

  
     I ducked down as a sword was about to go through my head.

  
It caught my assailant off guard, and he fell off balance as he followed his strike through.

  
     I took the opportunity to lunge at him, plunging my dagger between his ribs. The large man staggered backwards as I gave the blade a twist and yanked it back out.  
His sword fell to the ground with a clang just seconds before he fell limp next to it. Swooping down I retrieved the weapon, dropping my dagger in the process.  
The heavy greatsword felt good in my hands. Like I had found a parrt of myself that had gone missing.

 

     I wielded the sword with expert precision, apparently my skills hadn't gotten rusty in the years since I'd used them.

  
     I spun around in a whirlwind attack, taking down two of the foes surrounding me. The third woman blocked with the round shield she held in her left hand, and she made a counter strike with the long sword she wielded with her right.  
I parried, but just barely, unwittingly leaving myself open to flanked attacks.  
In fact, I hadn't even heard the rogue sneaking up on me until he fell to the stone street with a thump, a bolt sticking out of his back.

  
     "Bianca and I have got your back Sly!" And I heard two more bolts being fired from what must have been Bianca.  
The weird sense of commradary gave me a renewed vigor. I swung my weapon as hard as I could, splintering the warriors shield. She staggered backwards, trying frantically to parry with her sword.  But I knocked it to the side and out of her hand.

  
     I saw fear in her eyes as I went to strike a finishing bow, but a sense of pity came over me. Staying my hand.  
This girl was no Crow. A Crow wouldn't show fear in the face of death. This girl was just unlucky enough to be hired to die.

  
     I tossed my weapon down behind me and offered my hand out to her. A peace offering as much as a hand up.  
She batted it away with a sharp smack, but I offered again.

  
     "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to ask a few questions."  
She hesitated, looking up into my eyes.  
I guess she must have like what she saw, because she grabbed firmly onto my hand and let me pull her to her feet.

  
     "I assume the Crows hired you and some of the others so that they could overwhelm us more easily, is that right?"  
The girl nodded. She seemed younger now. Only in her early twenties.

  
     "Did you happen to hear who hired the  
crows in the first place?" I mean, he's just the Viscount, who could want him dead bad enough to hire an elite Antivan assassins guild.

  
     "There's a lot of Nobles who don't like the way I run this city. They don't bother me too much. Bianca and I can usually handle them. They've never bothered to send the Crows before. I must have been a bigger pain in their add than usual. Can't say I'm not glad that you were here Sly." He sighed and started muttering to himself "Next thing you know I'll have to travel with a body guard. Maybe I could convince Broody to do it."  
I rolled my eyes and looked back to the girl.

  
     "Ignore him. He's been insufferable from the moment I met him."

  
     "Eh, what can I say."

  
     "Well Messere, I had overheard some men talkin' in Darktown. THey said some men were hiring anyone who was good in a fight." She spoke with a Ferelden accent. Probably came here as a child when the blight struck.

  
     "When I went to go find the men they were talking. Since they were right in the middle of something I decided to wait around the corner. I've got manners you see, knew better than to intterupt.

  
     "Because that would be rude. Eavesdropping on the other hand is just common courtesy."

  
     "Varric, Shut up!"

  
"Alright, Alright." He threw his hands up in the air "Finish up your interrogation then."

  
     "I'm not interrogating anyone!" I shot him a look "Anyways, what did you hear?"

  
     "Not much really, just something about getting him out of the way so that the right Viscount could take his place."

  
     "I should've guesses as much. When I was first installed a bunch of nobles pitched a fit. Thought that this guy, Lord something or other should have gotten the job. What I figure is that they really just wanted a Viscount who would be in their pocket."

  
     "Do you need me to do something about them?"

  
     "Nah, I'll get the guard on 'em. Aveline's been looking for a reason to bring these guys in. I think I just found her one."

  
     I nodded and looked back to the girl.

  
     "What's your name dear?"

  
     "Um, it's Lydia Serah. Lydia Parker."

  
     "Here Lydia, this is for you."

  
I pulled three silver pieces out of the worn leather purse that was tied at my hip.  
Her eyes lit up as she meekly took the coins from my hand. She clutched them to her chest and smiled at me.

  
     "Thank you Messerre. And may the Maker bless you. If you ever need help you can count on me. I'll probably be in Darktown.

  
     She practically skipped away from the Viscount and I .

  
     "Now I really gotta hear your story."

  
     I just chuckled as I walked away from him. Slinking back into the shadows.

  
     "I never caught your name Sly."

  
     I rolled my eyes and smiled. I suppose it would be okay to throw the man a bone.

  
     "My name is Theodosia Grant. But I doubt that you'll be seeing me again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want everyone to know, I love Varric so much. He's one of my favorite characters ever. But he annoys the heck out of Thea.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again for reading. Let me know if anything is wrong. Critic is welcome.


End file.
